MAR News

Photos: MAR Fund

On December 4 and 5, 2025, MAR Fund brought together twelve women entrepreneurs from Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico in Guatemala City for a regional exchange to strengthen initiatives with a triple‑impact focus: social, environmental, and economic. The activity was part of the Blue and Regenerative Economy Program, through its Women for the MAR initiative, which seeks to promote the leadership and economic autonomy of women in the Mesoamerican Reef System (MAR) through the development of sustainable enterprises.

MAR Fund, Alterna, New Ventures, and Fempower LATAM strengthened key aspects of each project through plenary sessions and workshops on strategic narratives, application of social and environmental safeguards, design of stronger business models, and analytical tools that connect each initiative with the challenges and opportunities of the MAR.

The lecture by Mariana Madero, Director of MAR+Invest at New Ventures Mexico, allowed participants to deepen their understanding of current trends in impact entrepreneurship and the perspective of investors seeking solutions aligned with environmental regeneration.

The use of collaborative methodologies and innovative tools, including artificial intelligence applications and social media trends, enabled the 12 entrepreneurs to refine their business models, strengthen the communication of their proposals, and project their impact, integrating local knowledge, growth vision, and environmental commitment toward a truly regenerative economy. In addition to the tools and training spaces, the meeting created a valuable moment to recognize the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the MAR beyond gender issues: operating in territories with structural limitations, accessing fair financing, balancing community and family responsibilities, and sustaining initiatives that seek to protect ecosystems on which their livelihoods depend.

Sharing these experiences allowed participants to recognize common points, as well as the need for networks and support systems. This exchange strengthened collective confidence and consolidated a space where collaboration becomes a key strategy to continue moving forward.

“To know what each of the women is doing in our communities, to be able to share experiences and learn from other experiences in other communities similar to ours… how to work and what we are doing to strengthen the independence of women, which has been one of the battles we have been achieving… I felt proud to be able to share with other women who are fighting for our community, for women to raise our voices and for our work as women to be recognized.” — Dayani Rodríguez, Pescadería “La Bendición.”

The meeting concluded with the presentation of the projects in a simulated Investor Tank, before representatives of MAR Fund, Alterna, and New Ventures, who offered feedback aimed at sustainability, viability, and scalability of each enterprise. Three proposals with high potential were selected to receive seed capital as an initial boost to continue developing.

The winning proposals were:

• Cocina Lucy (Punta Allen, Mexico): Gastronomic enterprise with consolidated operation, coherent value proposition, and links to responsible tourism and citizen science in collaboration with the local fishing cooperative.
• Pescadería La Bendición (Omoa, Honduras): Women‑led initiative with clear progress in organization and formalization within the fisheries value chain, with potential to strengthen its commercial and community model.
• Mujeres BioFaunTásticas (Laguna Guerrero and Raudales, Mexico): Social project under structuring, with a solid educational narrative and capacity to evolve into a triple‑impact model linked to environmental and community activities.

The participating entrepreneurs concluded the meeting with greater clarity to design proposals that integrate impact and profitability, as well as more confidence to communicate with investors, present their business models, and access regional support and financing networks.

This meeting was made possible thanks to the support of The Summit Foundation, whose funding allowed the entrepreneurs to gather and create a space for learning, collaboration, and regional strengthening.

As a next step, MAR Fund will continue seeking spaces for these initiatives to keep growing, generating alliances, and contributing to the strengthening of an economy focused on responsible practices, innovation, and results that provide environmental stability and real opportunities for women in the MAR.

Photos: Liz Herrera and Mariana Borja – MAR Fund